


City of Evil

by Lady_Nemesis



Category: Avenged Sevenfold
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-07-15 07:37:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16058537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Nemesis/pseuds/Lady_Nemesis
Summary: When her cousin turns up dead, Sera goes looking for whoever is responsible.  But what she finds is not what she’s expecting.





	City of Evil

The horrified look on my mother’s face stopped me in my tracks as I came up my Aunt Jane’s front walk. “Mom, what’s wrong?” I asked worriedly, wondering what had happened. I’d never seen her look like this before…not even when my father had died. 

She seemed to stare for a moment. “It’s Angel,” she said and I sighed. Great. 

“Now what did she do?” I asked warily, not sure if I really wanted to know. 

“Sera, she’s dead.” 

My eyes widened as I stared at her. “OD?” I asked, keeping my tone neutral. 

She shook her head. “Someone killed her,” she murmured as I reached her. “They did awful things to her, Sera,” she whispered as I put one arm around her. 

“Let’s go in the house, okay?” I suggested softly, steering her gently towards the front door. My mother didn’t speak as we went into the house and that worried me even more. It wasn’t like her to be so quiet.

I sat her down on the couch and perched on the edge of the coffee table in front of her. “Mom, tell me what happened,” I said quietly and she took a deep breath. 

“The police came a little while ago. A body was found with Angel’s ID on it. They wanted Jane and Greg to go to the morgue and see if it is her, but Jane went into hysterics. I didn’t know what else to do so I called you,” she explained, her words coming out in a rush. 

I could feel the blood rush from my face. While I’d always figured that my cousin would wind up dead from her on-again/off-again drug habit, I hadn’t been expecting this.

Angel and I were born on the same day in 1982 but our similarity ended there. She was petite and ethereally beautiful while I, well, wasn’t. I’m three inches taller than she is and built more than a bit bigger. While I’m considered full-figured, it’s mainly because I’m so active that I can’t help but be muscular. Angel is the pretty one with her champagne-blonde hair and china-doll blue eyes and I’m the average one with curly auburn hair and weird violet-blue eyes. At one time in our lives, we were considered exceptionally intelligent. Our paths diverged somewhere in our late teens and she was no longer the sweet person I’d once known. There was one more difference between us as well. 

Angel was a drug addict. I am a professional thief. 

“Where’s Aunt Jane?” I asked and she sighed. 

“Greg took her to the hospital. She was having chest pains,” my mother replied in a voice so filled with sorrow that it seemed to hang in the air. 

“I’m going to take you to the hospital so you can be with them and then I’ll go to the morgue. If it is Angel, Mom, Aunt Jane’s going to need you,” I told her gently. Raising her eyes to mine, she simply nodded. With that, I helped her to her feet and we headed out to my truck.

The drive to the hospital was silent though I could feel the pain that seemed to radiate from my mother. Though she hadn’t seen Angel in a long time, I knew that she felt bad about not having been able to help her. At one time or another, we had all done our best to get her straightened out but we’d failed. Now, in this moment, it felt like we’d truly failed her by not protecting her.

Thankfully, my uncle was in the ER waiting room when we got there so I felt better about leaving Mom with him. Aunt Jane was being admitted since her chest pains had worsened so hovering over her would be Mom’s main priority. She’s always been good at that. 

I told Uncle Greg that I would handle identifying Angel and he simply nodded. The look of utter defeat in his eyes worried me and I gave him a hug. “We’ll get answers,” I promised him and he seemed to steel himself at my words. 

“Let me know if-if,” he began and I nodded, gently squeezing his shoulder. 

“I will.” 

I left him with my cell number and left the ER in a hurry. If the body lying in the morgue was Angel, I had to know. For my aunt and uncle’s sakes, I had to know.

~*~*~

The morgue attendant gave me a glance before sliding the drawer out of the refrigerator. I braced myself for whatever lay under the sheet. “You sure about this?” he asked quietly, giving me a worried look. 

I nodded. “Yes. I need to know for sure,” I replied in the same tone, giving him a level stare. He just shrugged and carefully pulled the sheet back.

No matter how prepared I thought I was, I wasn’t ready. My eyes dropped and fell on a starkly beautiful, pale face. I choked back a sob. It was Angel. Though smudged with bruises, her pixie-like features were still familiar. 

“It’s her,” I breathed, clenching my fists at my sides. The attendant only nodded, a gesture I saw from the corner of my eye. 

Reaching out, I gently smoothed back her hair. “What the hell happened to you, kid?” I murmured, suddenly noticing the strange way that the sheet laid on her body. Turning to look at the attendant, I raised an eyebrow. 

“Multiple broken bones,” he replied, holding up a file. 

“So she got hit by a car?” He shook his head. “Fell off a building?” I asked, my jaw tight. 

“More like someone beat her to death…probably her dealer,” a male voice said from behind me. 

I spun around and glared at the balding older man who stood near the door. “What did you say?” I asked, my voice deadly soft as I stalked across the room. 

“Her dealer probably did it,” he replied, blissfully unaware of just how much he was pissing me off. 

I glanced at his badge. Detective. Snorting softly, I looked him straight in the face, my eyes dead. “She was clean and had been for over six months,” I hissed and he actually took a few steps back. 

“She was a known junkie,” he shot back but I could see the fear in his eyes. 

“ **She** has a name. Angelique Anne Dailey,” I snarled, jabbing him in the chest with one finger. “Use it.” And, without another word, I shoved him out of the way and left the morgue.

Halfway down the hall, I stopped, leaning against the wall. The cop came out and went the other way after seeing me standing there. I gave myself a few minutes to calm down and then went in search of whoever was in charge of Angel’s case, hoping that it wasn’t the prick I’d just met. If it was, I just might wind up in jail for assaulting a police officer.

I found myself seated next to a desk almost ten minutes later. The desk’s occupant, Det. Castillo, looked almost nervous. “I don’t bite,” I commented in a conversational tone and he visibly relaxed. 

“That’s not what I heard,” he replied, offering me a slight smile. 

I shrugged. “I didn’t appreciate his comment about my cousin,” I explained and he nodded. 

“Dunlevy isn’t the most loved detective in this room.” 

I nodded in understanding. That was easy to believe. “Where was she found? And how long had she been there?” I asked and he sighed. 

“She was found in an alley just off Sullivan Street and the ME’s report says less than 12 hours. Listen, I’m going to be honest with you. We have nothing to go on. There were no witnesses who could tell us how she got into that alley or who put her there. We’re working every possibility so all I can do is ask you to be patient,” he told me. 

I regarded him seriously. “Patience isn’t high on my list of virtues,” I informed him and he nodded wearily. 

“I understand that but do not try to get involved in this investigation. If you do, you’re committing this thing called ’obstruction of justice’,” he said, the look in his eyes sharpening. 

I held up my hands. “I’m not implying that I would ever impede your investigation, Detective. I just want to make sure that you understand that I can’t be placated with pretty promises…so don’t bother trying to do it,” I replied, rising to my feet. 

As I turned to walk away, he called out to me. “Her mother might like her personal effects.” 

Turning back, I easily caught the envelope with one hand as it came at me. There was an appreciative look in his eyes and I smiled a little, wondering what he would think if he knew just how my reflexes had gotten so good. I simply inclined my head a bit and then left the squadroom. I had my own investigation to start…and I had a feeling that everything I needed was in the manila envelope tucked under my arm.

But right now, I had to do something that was going to break two people’s hearts…and I needed to do it in person. The phone wasn’t going to cut it this time.

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by two things: the video for ‘Beast and the Harlot’ and my twisted imagination. Also, some of the abilities mentioned in this story were nabbed from ‘Vampire: The Masquerade’ while others are ones that I simply made up. This story was begun long before the passing of Jimmy ‘The Rev’ Sullivan of Avenged Sevenfold. At first, I considered scrapping the story but decided against it. He inspired me in so many ways that I can’t bring myself to throw this away. And so, I have changed the dedication…and am most grateful that Nola is a very understanding friend.
> 
> For Jimmy ‘The Rev’ Sullivan…may your legend inspire us for decades to come. I miss you.


End file.
